1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an integrated communications system using a plurality of cellular/PDA/GPS phones for the management of a group of people through the use of a communications net and, specifically, to provide each user with a cellular/PDA/GPS/phone that has software application programs and databases that permit all the users to continuously know each other's locations and status, to rapidly call and communicate voice, high speed internet data, photographs and video clips among the users by touching display screen symbols and to enable the users to easily access data concerning other users and other database information.
2. Description of Related Art
The purpose of a communications system is to transmit information bearing signals from a source, located at one point, to a user destination, located at another point some distance away. A communications system is generally comprised of three basic elements: transmitter, information channel and receiver. One form of communication in recent years is cellular phone telephony. A network of cellular communication systems set up around an area such as the United States allows multiple users to talk to each other, either on individual calls or on group calls. Some cellular phone services enable a cellular phone to engage in conference calls with a small number of users. Furthermore, cellular conference calls can be established through 800 number services. Cellular telephony also now includes systems that include Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation that utilizes satellite navigation. These devices thus unite cellular phone technology with navigation information, computer information transmission and receipt of data.
Digital Smart Message Service (SMS) and TCP/IP messages can be transmitted using cellular technology such as various versions of GSM and CDMA or via a WiFi local area network. One implementation of these GPS location reporting cellular systems is for the data to go to a remote central site where the information is displayed for a person to monitor the locations of the cellular units that have the combined cellular GPS phone. Another implementation permits the cellular phone users to also view the location of other GPS equipped units. A drawback of the current implementation is that these systems are either all on or all off. There is no way to selectively activate participants or to stop the participants from participating in the network or for participants to set their reporting intervals that is based on time or distance traveled. The use of the current combined cellular phone/PDA technology has drawbacks when calling. When an operator makes a cellular phone call using the PDA to display a map (that also may depict geo-referenced businesses, homes and other facilities' locations and phone numbers), the cellular phone/PDA operator is required to display the numeric phone number by touching the display screen at the correct location of that entity on the map, memorize the numeric phone number, and select a different display to physically enter the phone number to make the call and then, if desired, go back to the map display. Needless to say, this is a cumbersome process. Sending a text message or an email to a location, business, home or facility that appears on a PDA map display or to another cellular phone can also be a cumbersome process as the PDA operator has to find the phone number or email address of the location on the map display, memorize the phone number or email address, then go to a different display to enter a text message, enter the text message, send the text message and then shift back to the map display program. Furthermore, for a phone to send data concerning a new entity of interest, not currently on the geo-referenced map display (car, person, tank, accident, or other entity), the operator must type in the information and the latitude and longitude of the new entity of interest.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0139150 published Jul. 24, 2003 shows a portable navigation and communication system. In one embodiment, the system combines within a single enclosure a GPS satellite positioning unit, mobile telephony using cellular phone technology and personal computing capable of wired or wireless internet or intranet access using a standard operating system. The purpose of this invention is to provide portable navigation for an individual. However, to operate the device, one still needs to utilize a keypad with the telephone functions. U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0139150 described a wireless communication system operating the PDA in a conventional manner. There is no provision for displaying the location of other similarly equipped systems. There is no provision to cause other similarly equipped cellular phone/PDA users to transmit their locations. There is no provision for entering other entities of interest by touching the display screen at their locations on a map. There is no provision for making a telephone call by touching the display screen at a net participant's symbol or entered facility (police station, fire station, etc.) symbol to initiate automatically the telephone call to that user or by touching multiple symbols to make conference calls. There is no provision for sending text messages, photographs or videos by touching the net participant(s)' symbol(s) on the display screen to automatically send text messages, photographs or videos to that participant or participants. There is no provision to go to a facility's web site or to automatically fill in a facility's E-mail address. There is no description or disclosure of a procedure to cause digital messages to be sent to a remote cellular phone that would cause the cellular phone to make verbal announcements, increase sound intensity, vibrate or to call back or to call another phone number. There is no description of the uses of layered soft switches which confine the switches to a particular vicinity of the PDA's display screen.